The great Zik of Africa  got a shocker of a lifetime years ago when he learnt of his death.  Somehow,  those who stirred the drama of his death perished first. Zik would later pass unto eternity but not at the time appointed by man.
Now, Buhari has climbed the saddle. It is certainly not the saddle of power that we are talking about here. It is the saddle of death that some in our midst want.
It is like history repeating itself before our very eyes.
After working tirelessly to secure a successful transition in the Gambia, Buhari flew out, not without putting in place a system that would leave no vacuum in his absence. There is evidence as we speak that his vice, Professor Yemi Osibanjo has all the powers of an acting president.
From the blue, Nigerians woke up to hear their president was dead. The story said he had met his death in Germany.
The reaction from the  Presidency was swift in coming. It dismissed the report that the president has kicked the bucket, saying he was alive. It confirmed President Buhari had flown abroad to the United Kingdom and not Germany as the shocking tale had said.
So who could be behind the drama?
It may be difficult at this stage to say who the mastermind of this horrific account is, or why  a tale like this was crafted for the international and Nigerian audience.
Some Nigerians, especially in the UK blame  a not too popular publication, Metro, which is online, for the initial report.
For spin doctors, this part of the world, who may be acting for persons who do not like the face of Buhari, that piece of information was obviously what was needed to create sufficient drama. They simply spurn a tale that the 73-year-old had passed on in a German hospital.
At his age, Buhari ought to see his personal doctors, at least to carry out normal routine checks. Has any one asked why  at his age the man walks damn straight or why he looks so fit?
Those who understand how the human body works say from the age of 40 the doctor should be man’s best friend.
This is however not so among many Nigerians. A regular aspirin tablet for instance, could help ensure man’s arteries are not blocked. A Nigerian  would tell another how sick you  probably have become after watching you pop one or two such tablets into your mouth.
So if you are spotted taking vitamins required to replenish the body, you are sick. If you take a well deserved bed rest to avert stress, you are probably on the way to the grave.
Besides, should Nigerian leaders ever get ill? Â Aren’t they like gods? It is possible those who manipulate the rest of us work on mindsets like this to reek havoc, generate tension and destabilise society.
I like the reaction which came off the lips of Tony Anenih, a PDP chieftain and elder statesman. He described those behind the tale of Buhari’s death as enemies of Nigeria. Anenih should  know better. He too is a victim of the death scar.
You can wish a man that you don’t like so many things. But death shouldn’t be part of all that. That kind of death wish is extreme. This is certainly why those behind the rumour of Buhari’s sudden death have indeed crossed the line.
In time, we would get to know why a man whose administration is engaging SMEs in a bold attempt to stimulate production and create jobs should die.
It would be fine to understand why someone or a group of persons would want a man in charge of an administration which is pursuing a huge diversification plan to perish; why we should lose a man who is helping to promote made-in-Nigeria goods and boost national food security through agriculture.
By the same token, it would make sence to know why we should pray for the demise of one who is determined to strangulate massive importation so our nation’s foreign reserves can be shored up.
I’d like to be told why a leader who has stood up to Boko Haram; who is about to rail in the Niger Delta through meaningful talks; and strengthen our diplomacy should leave us to join his ancestors just because some people want it so.
Interestingly, Nigeria is like no other country in the world. Although it is a country of strange bed fellows where evil minds are hailed as heroes while patriots are demonized, it is safe to say that Nigeria is not a place where God answers such evil prayers.
We may indeed have an assemblage of persons who are rather very impatient; persons who would prefer to dine with the devil rather than appreciate that nothing good comes easy; yet we are a crop of resilient, brave, courageous and enterprising people.
Much as we love to enjoy our many freedoms, including the right to free speech, we realise that as a nation we want leaders who can exhibit a clear will to move us forward.
Somehow, somebody who has the will and embodies our collective desire for greatness needs our support at this time, whether he is sick or well. That man is President Mohammadu Buhari.
Those who speculate that Buhari is dead should be prepared to wait a little longer. For only God has the capacity to decide who should live or who should die.
All things being equal, the week to come should hopefully be the week of his return from the UK to continue with the task that must be done.
